A Little Holiday Temptation Read Online Free PDF Page B

your heart after you’d slept with him? Ana, you’re not guilty of doing anything to warrant his behavior. Some men are bastards and will always be bastards. He’s one of them. I’m sure you’re not the only woman he’s treated that way.”
    “Maybe I’m not good in bed,” Ana said miserably.
    Erik held her by the shoulders and looked deeply in her eyes. “That’s the most ludicrous statement I’ve ever heard.” He smiled as he pulled her into his arms. “One day, my sweet Ana, you and I are going to make love, and you’re going to know without a doubt that you are very, very good in bed and maybe the couch, the kitchen table and the shower, too.”
    Ana laughed and cried. “Someday? Why not this day, this night?”
    “Because sex for the first time is an event,” Erik said. “It’ll be remembered forever and you don’t want to mess with forever. We’ve waited this long, we can wait awhile longer.”
    Now, as they stood in each other’s arms on the Barone’s balcony, Ana gazed up at him and said, “It’s just as well we didn’t make love last night because I would want you again tonight and it would be awkward making love under the Barones’ roof.”
    “We’d be very quiet,” Erik joked.
    “I doubt it,” Ana countered.
    * * *
    Later, at the party, Erik spent most of the time fielding questions from Leo Barone’s employees who wanted to know more about Whitaker Enterprises. It was apparent to him that they were grateful to be retaining their jobs in these hard economic times. So many people were out of jobs and finding it difficult to find another. They almost made him feel like some kind of hero for offering assistance to Barone Shoes, a feeling he fervently declined.
    “I should be thanking you,” he told them. “Leo has built a wonderful business and you’ve contributed to the quality of the product he produces. Without loyal, hardworking employees, no business would survive. Or be able to build a reputation investors like myself notice when we’re looking to invest in someone.”
    Leo had stepped up and said, “That’s a long way of saying he wouldn’t have been interested if we didn’t make a quality product.”
    Everyone laughed, but Erik was happy he’d gotten his point across and from that moment on during the evening, business was not discussed. The topics stayed on golf and sports teams.
    Meanwhile in another section of the great room, the women and children were gathered around Ana who was quickly making sketches of the children in charcoal. She didn’t go anywhere without her sketch pad and the children were taking great delight in her swift manner of drawing their likenesses. Since it was only a few days from Halloween, Teresa had suggested that the children come in costumes and, now, Ana was drawing the image of a six-year-old African-American girl dressed as a fairy princess. The mother of the little girl stood behind Ana on one side, and Julianna stood on the other.
    “You’re very good,” the mother said, smiling broadly. “You even captured the mischievous expression in Nikki’s eyes.”
    Julianna laughed. “That’s our Nikki to a T.” She had babysat Nikki on occasion and knew the little girl was a handful.
    Ana, sitting on a straight-backed chair directly in front of Nikki, smiled warmly. “She’s adorable.”
    Finished with Nikki’s portrait, she handed the finished product to Nikki’s mother. Nikki climbed off her chair and spontaneously kissed Ana on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said.
    “Well,” Ana said, laughing softly. “That’s the first time I’ve ever been paid in kisses for my work. Thank you, Nikki.”
    With Nikki’s portrait, Ana had drawn all four children who had attended the party with their parents. Not to be outdone, Teresa asked sweetly, “Would you draw my baby now?”
    Julianna immediately took umbrage with being called a baby. “Mother, I’m not a baby!”
    “You’re my baby, and always will be. Get used to it,”